Thirteen
Artist: Teenage Fanclub
Community Score: 8.00

Unjustly savaged by fans and critics alike upon its initial release, with the benefit of hindsight Thirteen has revealed itself an eminently worthy follow-up to the classic Bandwagonesque; though not as consistent or refreshing as its predecessor, the album takes simultaneous steps backward and forward, retreating to a darker, sludgier guitar... Read More

No Holding Back
Artist: Graham Parker

Complicated as Graham Parker's history of label affiliations has been in the U.S., he has an entirely different one in the U.K. Some of that history is revealed on this three-CD box set, No Holding Back, which traces his recordings for Demon Records. Anyone accustomed to thinking of box sets as comprehensive career summaries will find the... Read More

G.I. Ay, Ay! Blues
Artist: El Vez

Continuing in a tradition of brilliant album titles, El Vez diversifies even more on his third full-length studio album and gets more political. The song titles say it all: "Say it Loud! I'm Brown and I'm Proud," "Mexican-American Trilogy," and "J.C. Si Lowrider Superstar." The last song somehow segues Bowie's "Rock & Roll Suicide" into... Read More

Fossil Fuel: The XTC Singles 1977-1992
Artist: XTC

Fossil Fuel: The XTC Singles 1977-1992 is a splendid double-disc set that runs through every one of the group's 31 A-sides, from the nervy "Science Friction" to the lush, sighing "Wrapped in Grey." Between those two songs, XTC's craftsmanship grows remarkably fast -- based on the edgy pop of their new wave singles "Statue of Liberty," "This Is... Read More

Yourself or Someone Like You
Artist: Matchbox Twenty
Community Score: 7.62
Power Pop, Vol. 1
Artist: The Raspberries
Definitive Collection
Artist: The Bangles

With a cover like somebody vomited up a Bangles fanzine, this German compilation supercedes the U.S. Greatest Hits package by replicating that CD's track listing (apart from "Where Were You When I Needed You"), adding four tracks from Susanna Hoffs' first solo album (two less of those and two from her less-overproduced second album would have... Read More

Puerto Angel
Artist: The Henrys

The Henrys' debut album, Puerto Angel, is an impressive, unpredictable record that blends together a variety of roots musics -- blues, country, folk, worldbeat -- into a unique, entirely original fusion. It's evocative, occasionally haunting, but the overriding emotion is joy -- music this original is something to celebrate. Vocalist Mary... Read More

Contraband: The Best of Men at Work
Artist: Men at Work

Men at Work's records were always somewhat uneven affairs. Certainly, the singles were the highlights, but they had a handful of first-rate album tracks that made the records necessary for dedicated fans, even if the overall album was inconsistent. Contraband: The Best of Men at Work does a terrific job of consolidating all of their highlights... Read More

Teenage Fanclub Have Lost It
Artist: Teenage Fanclub

The band took to a living room to record some off-the-cuff acoustic versions of songs from each of their albums -- "Don't Look Back," "Everything Flows, " "Starsign, " and "120 Mins." It works, but the between-song noodling is annoying and makes it difficult for radio DJs and home tapers to segue. ~ Denise Sullivan, All Music Guide Read More

Grand Prix
Artist: Teenage Fanclub
Community Score: 8.50

For all of the brilliance of records like Bandwagonesque and the underrated Thirteen, at times Teenage Fanclub seemed little more than a showcase for the laconic melodic genius of Norman Blake -- fairly or not, the songwriting contributions of bandmates Gerard Love and Raymond McGinley suffered mightily by comparison, mere filler when stacked... Read More

No Need to Argue - BONUS LIVE DISC
Artist: The Cranberries

With their second album, No Need to Argue, the Cranberries have managed to avoid a sophomore slump by turning in a set of songs that builds on their debut's finest moments. With the exception of the distorted march of "Zombie," there aren't that many great departures from the band's atmospheric, melodic guitar-pop. Most of the credit goes to the... Read More